Chicago Blackhawks prospect leaves rrganization for good after being buried in the AHL

Marcel Marcel was drafted 131st overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, giving Hawks fans a long-term project big winger to watch developmentally.

The 22-year-old Czech winger spent the bulk of his pro career with the IceHogs in the American Hockey League, skating in 80 games and posting 19 points with six goals and 13 assists.

His size and strength at 6-foot-4 and around 243 pounds made him an intriguing power-forward bet for Chicago's pipeline.

Marcel never cracked the NHL roster out of training camp or in the regular season, and with the organization opting for other forwards from the 2023 draft and subsequent classes, he elected to take his game overseas rather than remain under an AHL contract.

Fans have mixed feelings about Marcel's exit, seeing both a rough ride for a big prospect and a reminder of how deep the Hawks' forward pool has become since 2023. Marcel's physical toolkit always looked ready for pro hockey, but the scoring pace never quite matched expectations.

His departure leaves a slot in Rockford's lineup and closes a chapter on Chicago's fifth-round pick from two summers ago.

Chicago's 2023 draft was headlined by Connor Bedard first overall and Oliver Moore at 19th, with Marcel joining several other forwards taken in later rounds. While Bedard and Moore are now fixtures in the NHL, Marcel's path drew out in the minors, a common story for mid-round picks.

The Blackhawks still hold other prospects from the same class climbing toward the NHL, but Marcel's exit underscores the uphill battle for late-round picks to force their way onto an NHL roster.

It's not a failure so much as a reality of pro hockey development; Europe now offers him a fresh chance to grow the parts of his game that didn't fully click in North America.